5 Conclusions And Recommendations

Conclusions

5.1 The research has demonstrated variation in the types of
advocacy service linked to the criminal justice system for victims
of violence against women and girls available in Scotland. Domestic
abuse advocacy is the most widely available. This reflects the
prevalence of domestic abuse and the focus on reported 'incidents'.
While recent developments (such as the
RCS National
Advocacy Project) have extended the type of advocacy available,
provision by type and by location are inconsistent across Scotland.
Advocacy is less available in rural and remote areas; some forms of
violence against women and girls have few associated advocacy
services. While it has not been part of this research to assess
demand for services, interviewees generally thought there was a
need for greater consistency in access to advocacy services across
Scotland.

5.2 The research developed a definition that was workable but,
because it had two distinct parts, was open to different
interpretation. While some respondents thought it would be helpful
to have a strict definition, others recognised that having more
flexibility allows services to meet needs as they find them.

5.3 The literature review and interviews illustrated essential
components of a, predominantly domestic abuse, advocacy service:
independence of the justice system; assertive/proactive outreach;
crisis intervention; and risk assessment. Some of these, such as
crisis intervention and risk assessment, depending on the
circumstances, may not apply so readily to other forms of violence
against women and girls.

5.4 There are recognisable models of delivery: what they offer
and how they do it. These have developed ad hoc and not according
to a particular pattern but according to all sorts of variables
including funding; needs assessments; opportunity; external demand;
rural/urban locations; and sometimes as a service development. As a
consequence, there is no one model, and there is no evidence to say
that there should be one model.

5.5 However, there was a sense that there were certain
prerequisites for any model responding to violence against women
and girls. These include a gender-based analysis consistent with
national strategy; empowerment of victims; agreed standards; and
consistency of access to services across Scotland.

5.6 The research indicated that spread of services is patchy and
that, in general, more provision would be helpful. For some
services, criminal justice advocacy for victims of violence against
women and girls is their main business: they were set up
specifically as advocacy services. For others, advocacy is one
element of a broader service. The broader service may be wholly or
partly responding to violence against women and girls.

5.7 Many services are struggling with lack of secure funding,
and demand outstripping capacity. There are problems in providing a
broader institutional or strategic response based on evidenced
practice, partly due to the lack of evaluation in many services.
The scattergun approach is inconsistent with a coordinated
community response; overall consistency and continuity in the
funding or development of services appears to be limited.

5.8 The research highlights a perceived lack of advocacy
services for children and young people in their own right, although
it recognises that further work is needed in this area to fully
understand what is being offered and by whom. While there is a
wider range of support services for children, for example through
social work services, it is unknown how many of these services can
offer advocacy support, and any support would not be independent
advocacy.

5.9 Other perceived gaps were associated with lack of services
and barriers to services experienced by black and minority ethnic
women and girls; disabled women and girls and
LGBTI
people.

5.10 In general, while there are clearly informal links between
advocacy services and the criminal justice system, there are
relatively few services where there is a direct and formally
established communication channel between the advocacy service and
the criminal justice system. This tends to happen where the service
is embedded within the local authority and formal
information-sharing protocols exist. Such services speak highly of
the benefits which such close and formal communication brings.

5.11 Advocacy does not sit in a vacuum: there are other support
services which are crucial for women and girls who experience
abuse. In addition, advocacy cannot compensate for some of the
weaknesses and challenges within the criminal justice system
itself. This research has highlighted some systemic barriers,
including the perceived need for more training for sheriffs. The
lack of close links between criminal and civil justice were seen as
a problem given the risk to women and girls over civil matters such
as child contact.

5.12 There was some discussion about the importance or otherwise
of having discrete services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual
violence and other forms of violence against women and girls. This
tended to be raised in the context of gaps and funding issues
rather than analysis of the needs of and interventions required by
survivors of violence against women and girls. This research was
focused on scoping the services that exist rather than assessing
the demand for such services.

Recommendations

5.13 The brief for the work asked the research team to consider
where further analysis and research may be required to promote
consistency in advocacy services for victims of violence against
women and girls, across Scotland.

5.14 The key recommendations in terms of further analysis and
research are as follows:

A. Advocacy services should be clear about what they do, the
outcomes they seek, and how they measure their effectiveness and
impact. Learning from individual service evaluations can then
contribute to wider institutional and strategic change.

B. To consider the intersection between the civil and criminal
law in responding to violence against women and girls consistently
and safely.

C. To examine how to improve formal communication and
information-sharing channels between advocacy services and the
criminal justice system.

D. To analyse funding models, direction and support to improve
advocacy services' ability to plan and to provide service across
all forms of gender-based violence.

E. To consider how to provide advocacy across Scotland so that
it can be accessed by all victims of gender based violence
regardless of their location, particularly taking account of
variation in urban/rural accessibility.

F. To consider the demand for services, and the value and impact
of independent advocate training.